Dirt and Trail July 2018 issue 2

“This is the premium
2-stroke in the KTM
lineup, and is basically
brand new for 2019. Light,
responsive, so fast… but
very controllable with
amazing suspension and
brakes. You can feel the
updates – it’s just a better
bike than last years,
amazing how they do it.”
and decent brakes and suspension – This
bridges the gap perfectly between a 125 and
a 250.
I sure hope that we’ll be allowed to ride
and race them here…
The 250SX
This is the premium 2-stroke in the KTM
lineup, and is basically brand new for
2019. Light, responsive, so fast… but very
controllable with amazing suspension and
brakes. You can feel the updates – it’s just a
better bike than last years, amazing how they
do it. Less explosive, more refined with very
useable power. It’s really to appreciate how
KTM dominates this class all over the world.
Much like with their enduro models, KTM has
made two stroke technology their own.
Slow or fast – so much fun to ride.
The Four Strokes:
For this sloppy, muddy track, we thought
that the 450 would be a real handful, but it
surprised us. The 250 is incredibly quick and
the 350 is a great blend of the two…
Mike shares his thoughts
The 250 SXF:
I was very impressed with the power
delivery – it’s only a 250 but it makes
lekker torque and has an amazing overrev.
The riders were well spaced out when I
took the 250 four out – but a few of us
had a go and I was super impressed with
the 250. It turns on a dime and moves so
easily through the air. Cornering is really
sharp with enough bottom-end that you
don’t need to aim for the outside line – you
don’t have to dig very deep to holeshot out
of the corners. The suspension soaks up
everything you throw at it.
The bike feels, once again better than the
previous model in just about every respect.
It’s lighter, sharper and damn pretty in its new
livery. Go and ride one…
The 350SXF: Bridging the gap.
KTM built the 350 and a bridge from 250 to
450 but – much discussion was had among
all of the Jounalists on the launch – some
agreed and others – especially the older
generation could not see the point. But – let’s
refer to how successful KTM’s 350 Enduro
model is – especially amongst hobby riders
and I’m sure you’ll agree that KTM is on to
something.
Personally I like the 350 for a couple of
reasons. You don’t need to ride as hard as
you would on the 250. This probably means
that the bike will last a bit longer and need
less maintenance. It has significantly more
torque than a 250 but is not as powerful as
a 450. It weighs almost the same as a 250. It
feels like a safe ride if you know what I mean
– you don’t need to pin it all over the place –
there is ample chug-a-lug in every gear – that
allows you to get away with making the odd
mistake. Handling and feel is very close to
the 250 – a 250 with a bigger bore and longer
gearing. For shorter tracks this is one heck of
a machine…
22 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE JULY 2018